Matt and Debbie Recker

Matthew
Recker grew up in Northern New Jersey just 15 minutes
outside New York City. As a teen,
he became involved in the empty life of drug and alcohol abuse. As he became
increasingly miserable, the conviction of sin became deep in his soul. By
grace, the Lord saved him during his freshman year at Clemson
University in South
Carolina. When he returned to his New
Jersey home that summer, the Lord led him to begin
attending a Bible-believing church in Manhattan.

Soon Matthew sensed God's call to preach the Word of God and to return to New
York City for full-time ministry. He then enrolled in Bob
Jones University
and received a B.A. in missions (1981) and a M.A. in pastoral studies (1983).
He met his wife Debbie and they were married in 1981, and they were accepted in
Gospel Fellowship Association Missions in 1983.

Since
1984 God has used the Reckers to establish three urban churches in New
York City: City
View Baptist Church
in Flatbush, Brooklyn (1984-1989); Parkway
Baptist Church
in Jamaica, Queens
(1990-1995); and Heritage Baptist
Church in Manhattan
(1996-present). Heritage Baptist
Church is a multicultural church in
the heart of America's
largest city. Since 1997 Matt has hosted a live radio broadcast entitled
The Heritage of Faith that focuses on Biblical exposition and allows radio
listeners to call in. Heritage also features the Heritage
Baptist Deaf Church,
The Heritage Discipleship Institute, homeless and evangelistic outreach, and
world-wide missionary outreach.

Matthew
is the author of two books on urban ministry: Behold the City and Living
on the Edge of Eternity, published by BJU Press. In 2002 he received an
honorary doctorate degree from Ambassador
Baptist College.
The Reckers reside in Rosedale, Queens,
and have three children: Rachel, Brian, and
Daniel.